Letters Home from a Yankee Doughboy 1916-1919

First Sergeant Sam Avery and the rest of K Co., 8th Mass Infantry left Somerville on 7/27/1917 and moved to Camp Houston at Lynnfield, Mass. where they remained for nearly a month until 8/21/1917. During this time Sam did not write any letters home because he was local enough to still enjoy direct visits from the family. He also knew that his ultimate destination would be Camp Bartlett in Westfield, Mass. where many New England National Guard troops were being assembled for reorganization.

While supervising his men in Lynnfield, Sam handled the usual disciplinary matters which primarily involved being A.W.O.L. (Absent Without Official Leave). These offenses were handled first by court martial to determine guilt based on the facts, then followed by punishments including confinement, extra duty and labor. Following are some notes from Sam’s pocket diary regarding events and activities during this period of time.